Archive of the Switzerland-Israel Association

Collection

Holding institution:: Archives of Contemporary History at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich

Holding institution (official language):: Archiv für Zeitgeschichte der ETH Zürich

Scope and content:: The thematic focus of the collection are files on the public relations work of the Gesellschaft Schweiz-Israel (GSI; Switzerland-Israel Association), especially in the context of the work in the coordination committee (KOKO) and Executive Committee (EXKO) together with the Christian-Jewish Association (CJA) in Switzerland, the Keren Hayesod (KH), and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG), with particularly extensive documentation of the study trips to Israel. Further focal points are the correspondence of the GSI as well as the GSI Bulletins, which are almost completely preserved with only few gaps. The period between 1975 and 2000 is documented in detail. From the earlier years, only few files are available. According to Walter L Blum, this can be explained by the fact that during this period the files of the central secretariat were not systematically kept and much was thrown away. Information about the work of the GSI during this period can be found in the 1987 commemorative publication by Willy Guggenheim, which he wrote by relying on his memory and experience of the GSI and KOKO, as well as on his activities as a member and journalist.

Archival history:: In 2008, Walter L Blum, long-time central secretary of the Gesellschaft Schweiz-Israel, handed over about 2 shelf metres of files of the central secretariat to the AfZ. For further information on the sources, please refer to Zsolt Keller's article in the GSI Festschrift of 2007. Information on photos included in the collection was completed by Walter L. Blum.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Gesellschaft Schweiz-Israel (GSI; Switzerland-Israel Association) was founded in 1957 in the wake of the Suez Crisis with the aim of informing the Swiss public about the political, economic, social, and cultural conditions in Israel and thus promoting friendly relations between the two countries. To this end, the society organises lectures and study trips to Israel (with politicians, military officers, journalists, students, etc.), carries out intensive press work and regularly publishes its own information bulletin. Since the 1990s, the GSI has also been increasingly active against antisemitism before the background of socio-political developments in Switzerland. In addition, today it promotes projects and initiatives in Israel that serve the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue for peace, understanding and coexistence. In 1976, the GSI, together with the Christian-Jewish Association (CJA) in Switzerland, Keren Hajessod (KH) and the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG), founded the Coordinating Committee (KOKO), whose purpose it is to coordinate the actions undertaken by various associations and groups in Switzerland in support of Israel. This was soon followed by the establishment of the Executive Committee (EXKO), which analyses the situation in the Middle East and the public mood in Switzerland and develops ideas for activities focusing on political, economic and cultural topics in support of Israel.

Author of the description:: Severin Holzknecht; Jewish Museum of Hohenems; 2019